Preamps & Channel Strips
Nothing rivals the warmth and richness analog hardware can lend to a vocal or instrument signal. That's why Sweetwater carries a full range of tube and solid-state preamps and channel strips capable of taking your recordings to the next level.
48-month financing* on select brand purchases.
Featured in Preamps & Channel Strips
Top Preamp Brands
- Acme Audio
- A Designs
- AEA
- API
- ART
- Audient
- Avalon
- BAE
- Behringer
- Black Lion Audio
- Burl Audio
- Chameleon Labs
- Chandler Limited
- Cloud Microphones
- Cranborne Audio
- Daking
- dbx
- Digital Audio Denmark
- DPA
- Drawmer
- DW Fearn
- Electrodyne
- elysia
- Empirical Labs
- Eventide
- Focusrite
- GML
- Golden Age Project
- Grace Design
- H2 Audio
- Harrison Audio
- Hazelrigg Industries
- Heritage Audio
- Karno
- Klark Teknik
- Maag Audio
- Manley
- Midas
- Miktek
- Millennia
- Neve
- Phoenix Audio
- PreSonus
- ProCo
- Radial
- Retro Instruments
- RME
- Rolls
- Royer
- Rupert Neve Designs
- Samson
- sE Electronics
- Shure
- Solid State Logic
- Soyuz
- SPL
- Summit Audio
- TK Audio
- Trident Audio Developments
- Triton Audio
- Tube-Tech
- Turtle AV
- Undertone Audio
- Universal Audio
- Useful Arts
- Warm Audio
- Whirlwind
- Wolff Audio
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About Mic Preamps & Channel Strips
What Is a Mic Preamp?
A microphone preamp amplifies the low-level signal your microphones produce to the line level your recorder or DAW needs. Every studio recording chain depends on this first stage of amplification. The mic preamp is where your signal gains character or stays clean, depending on the circuit you choose. For a modular approach, 500 Series preamp modules let you mix and match preamp flavors in a single rack.
Mic Preamp vs. Audio Interface
Most audio interfaces include built-in preamps, and for many home studio setups, those are enough. A dedicated mic preamp or preamp channel strip goes further, often offering greater headroom, distinct circuit color, and finer control over gain staging than onboard converters typically provide. Browse our audio interfaces to compare.
Tube and Solid-State Studio Preamps
From vintage-flavored tubes to solid-state linearity, Sweetwater carries studio preamps to match any sound you’re after. Universal Audio manufactures preamps and channel strips that re-create the tube circuitry of Bill Putnam Sr.’s legendary console modules of the 1950s and ’60s. If you’re after the punchy sound of the ’70s, the preamplifier and equalization sections of the Neve 1073 and API 1604 console modules defined many hits of the era.
Solid State Logic (SSL) brings its renowned SuperAnalogue console technology to any DAW-based setup through channel strips like the Super 9000 and XLogic Channel. PreSonus offers a hybrid solution with its BlueTube DP V2, a 2-channel mic/instrument preamp with mixable solid-state and 12AX7-based tube preamplifiers for each channel.
The Channel Strip
Rather than dealing with separate preamp, EQ, and dynamics control units, many engineers prefer channel strips that combine two or all three of these functions into one unit for a simpler workflow.
A channel strip preamp gives you a complete signal path in a single rack space. Slate Digital’s VMS Virtual Microphone System pairs a transparent microphone preamp with mic modeling software, putting a virtual mic locker in your studio.
Purchasing Mic Preamps & Channel Strips at Sweetwater
Sweetwater’s highly trained Sales Engineers put the latest mic preamps and channel strips to the test in home and commercial studios, and they have the experience to help you find gear that fits your needs and budget.
With our fast, free shipping, you’ll be on your way to recording tracks in your studio in no time. Explore the full studio recording lineup for everything else in the signal chain.
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